Thunder Eagles
A Clan marked by their own unique brand of mysticism, the Thunder Eagles were guided by visions and portents, especially through the use of divination, and even its Clan Chief's first consulted with the Oathmaster (wiseman/woman) before undertaking any action which could affect the Clan. Following through on these visions tended to cause conflict with other Clans though, and only through the strength of their warriors was the Thunder Eagles Clan kept safe over the years. Clan Thunder Eagle was known for its unconventional practices, including the use of mystical visions to guide their decisions. While technically atheistic, the Thunder Eagles followed a very spiritual way of life which had many religious overtones. This mysticism was heavily influenced by Clan Chief Freyja Talon and her sage stories called the Ways of Seeing, a series of spoken stories and songs which described the spiritual events she and her mother Astrid Talon had experienced. These stories also contained rituals which could be used to achieve inner peace and clarity of purpose. Concurrent with these writings was the creation of the Oathmaster position, a Thunder Eagle warrior charged with overseeing to the Clan's spiritual well-being and accurately interpreting visions. Rite of the Reverie One of the most honored and mysterious of the Thunder Eagle rituals, the Rite of the Reverie is a form of divination via fire. An important component of the ritual involved a warrior's vineers, tokens from their past battles (i.e. a scalps, weapon and armor seized from an enemy warriors) which were kept and held in high reguard. After a self-determined period of fasting and meditation, the warrior would sit themselves in front of a bonfire with all of their vineers laid out. As they contemplated the past and the future, the warrior would stare into the fire and slowly feed their vineers into it, seeking a vision. There was no shame if a warrior did not receive a vision - the simple act of sacrificing a vineer was itself praiseworthy - but if it occurred the Oathmaster would be on hand to help in its interpretation. No recorded instances of a warrior lying about a vision exist, although a warrior could perform the rite multiple times if they did not receive a vision or required further clarity - so long as their supply of vineers held out. Oathmaster Grand Melee The Oathmaster Grand Melee was the contest for choosing a new Oathmaster to guide the Thunder Eagle Clan. Open to every member of the Clan regardless of caste, age or fighting tradition, the Grand Melee was held once a every five years - on the longest day of the year - and involved two contests. The first was a test of martial skill, as all entrants entered an immensely large Circle of Companions and engaged in 'unaugmented' combat until there was only one victor. The second was the Forum of Lore which tested wisdom and intelligence. The victor from the Circle of Companions had to demonstrate his or her knowledge of the laws and traditions of the Clans and the Thunder Eagles in particular, including all exceptions to those laws and traditions, to the satisfaction of both Thunder Eagles Chief and it's elders and the other applicants. If they failed this second test, the last person they defeated in the Circle of Companions was given a chance to prove themselves. If they failed as well, the reigning Oathmaster retained their position until the next Grand Melee. Recounting of Battles The Recounting of Battles was an important bonding ritual practiced by Thunder Eagle warriors. The ritual took place on a bi-monthly basis, preferably at midnight and at an outdoor location, when groups of warriors would gather around a large bonfire above which was placed a raised platform. The ceremony began with a drum beating out once for each of the twelve original Clans created by the All Father. After the last drumbeat the highest-ranking warrior would ascend the platform and engage in the ritualistic storytelling of the Clan's most impressive past battles and victories. The purpose of these tellings was not only for inspirational but also educational purposes, enlightening current warriors about how to achieve victory based on the examples of past heroes.